The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 171

Chapter 171: Pursuit of the "Big Fish"

For some reason, when Joseph heard the figure "ten million livres," he felt no anger. Instead, a peculiar sense of "comfort" welled up within him.

He leaned toward Viscount Calonne with great anticipation and asked,
"Are you referring to the amount Necker personally profited from, or the total sum of problematic funds?"

"This is Necker's profit from those transactions, Your Highness. Over half of the financial loans he managed at the time are likely suspect."

Suddenly, Joseph felt as if the entire world had brightened, and he could almost hear the jubilant singing of angels.

It was well-known that during Necker's tenure as Minister of Finance, France's bank loans had increased by nearly 1 billion livres.

If Calonne's claim was true, even by the lowest estimate, it meant at least 500 million livres in loans might have involved illegal operations.

Joseph's heart raced. If evidence of such illegal activity could be uncovered, they could subject these loans to a thorough review.

During the reexamination of loans, interest payments are typically suspended!
There was even the possibility of renegotiating the loan agreements!
In severe cases, problematic loans could be directly...

Joseph pinched his thigh hard to stop himself from imagining further. The prospects were too beautiful and too tempting.

He fixed his fiery gaze on Calonne, his eyes seeming to burn.
"How confident are you that the loans have issues?"

Under Joseph's intense scrutiny, Calonne felt unnerved and stammered,
"From my many years of... ahem, financial experience, I'd say there's more than a 90% chance of irregularities. The issue is we lack concrete evidence."

"Excellent!" Joseph exclaimed, standing up excitedly. He gave Calonne a hearty pat on the shoulder. "You've made an outstanding contribution this time."

Then, Joseph instructed him,
"From this moment on, my guards will protect you around the clock. You are not to contact anyone outside."

"What?" Calonne was alarmed. "Your Highness, are you placing me under house arrest?"

"Oh, no. This is merely temporary. Once Necker's matter is resolved, I will personally receive you in Paris."

As he spoke, Joseph picked up a pen and paper from the nearby desk, quickly wrote a letter, sealed it with wax, stamped it with his private seal, and then strode out of the room.

Handing the letter to Captain Kessold, Joseph instructed,
"Send someone to Paris at once and order the police bureau to arrest Necker immediately. Yes, Jacques Necker, the former Minister of Finance. No one is allowed to approach Necker or his family until I return."

"And this letter, deliver it to Bishop Brienne; he will coordinate the matter."

"Understood, Your Highness!"

Having arranged everything, Joseph felt a profound sense of satisfaction. Noting that it was still early, he stretched and smiled at Eymond.
"Since we're in Lorraine, let's visit Nancy."

...

To the northwest of Toul, about two leagues from the star-shaped fortress built by Marshal Vauban, lay the open-pit coal mine of Tillou.

Standing at the edge of the massive pit, Maria Clementine wore a stern expression as she gazed blankly at the coal workers wielding their picks below.

This morning, the Crown Prince had ordered his guards to escort her here for a visit. Before departure, he had thoughtfully introduced her to the mine, the largest in Toul, and wished her an enjoyable outing.

With no trees to shield the area, a constant breeze blew across the mine, sending tiny coal particles swirling into the air.

Annoyed, the little girl pushed away her maid Rosalia's handkerchief and grumbled,
"Stop wiping. The coal dust is everywhere; it's impossible to get clean..."

"Miss, perhaps we should return," Rosalia suggested cautiously.

"No." Maria Clementine puffed out her cheeks. "What if my cousin asks me what I saw, and I can't answer?"

"Then shall I accompany you for a stroll?"

"Yes." Maria Clementine nodded and, surrounded by guards, began descending the spiral slope formed of compacted coal dust toward the mine's bottom.

A group of miners, carrying baskets brimming with coal, came toward her. When they saw Maria Clementine's luxurious gown and the stately guards ahead and behind, they quickly stepped aside, bowed their heads, and pressed against the walls to make way.

Supported by her maid, Maria Clementine passed the miners, only to feel the ground beneath her feet suddenly give way.

A miner caught sight of the unstable ground and shouted, "Watch out!" He dropped his coal basket and leaped forward, pushing both Maria Clementine and Rosalia to safety.

Moments later, the coal-dust-covered ground where Maria Clementine had stood collapsed with a rumbling sound.

"Run!" One of the guards acted swiftly, scooping up Maria Clementine and sprinting away.

Seconds later, a large gap appeared in the spiral slope. Maria Clementine and the miners stood on one side of the break, while her other guards stood on the opposite side, exchanging wide-eyed, relieved glances.

"Waahhh!" Only now did Maria Clementine realize the danger and burst into tears.

Before long, the mine's owner arrived in a panic, leading a group of people. Nearly in tears himself, he apologized profusely.
"Your esteemed ladyship, I am terribly sorry! God can bear witness; this place has been stable for over a decade. I don't know how... Oh, my heavens! Are you hurt? What shall we do?"

"It's not your fault," Maria Clementine said, choking on her sobs. She glanced at her leg, where a small wound had nearly stopped bleeding.

She then looked at the miners not far away. Their clothes were ragged, and their bodies were covered in coal dust, with scratches adding to their pitiful appearance.

Feeling that her misfortune had implicated them, Maria Clementine limped over to them, took out a handful of candies, and handed them out apologetically.
"Are you all right? Here, have some candy. It'll make the pain go away."

The miners were dumbfounded but hurriedly stood to accept the candy, bowing their heads in gratitude, unsure of what to say.

Finally, one bold miner stammered,
"May God bless you, kind lady."

At the time, sugar was an expensive commodity. Few miners had ever tasted candy, let alone such fine sweets. Some had already resolved to save the candy for their children as Christmas gifts, certain it would create unforgettable memories.

Rosalia, following her mistress, distributed a few silver coins to each injured miner.

As Maria Clementine left, the mine owner sighed with relief. He had expected to pay a hefty price but was amazed she did not blame him at all.

Turning to the miners, he spotted the silver coins in their hands and barked angrily,
"This is all your fault! You almost got me in trouble with that noble lady. Hand over that money immediately!"

...

Paris.

In the Louvre District, inside a three-story mansion surrounded by a spacious garden, adorned with intricate stone carvings and large windows forming an artistic façade, Necker paced in agitation.

Wearing a blue-gray coat, his drooping nose and prominent chin quivered as he jabbed his finger at Erich and growled,
"You fool! I only told you to watch Calonne. Why did you kill those two policemen? And one of them even escaped!"

"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Necker!" Erich said nervously, glancing up at him. "According to Fred, that officer, Marat, presented evidence of irregularities in your loan operations and demanded more proof from Calonne."

"You ordered that no information about you must leave Toul. So, we had no choice but to eliminate those officers."

Necker froze, then asked sharply,
"What did Calonne say to them?"

"I'm not sure. Fred was sent away by Calonne afterward."

Necker frowned and muttered a few words before glaring at his subordinate.
"Idiot! Your priority now is to kill that surviving officer, not waste time reporting to me!"

"Please hear me out," Erich said hastily. "The officer is heavily guarded, making it difficult to act. Also, a large group arrived at Calonne's place a few days later..."

"What kind of group?"

"Fred mentioned they were highly vigilant, allowing no one near. He said there were over a hundred guards, all wearing uniforms marked with the royal fleur-de-lis emblem."

"The royal family?"

Erich nodded and added,
"Fred also saw a young boy, around fourteen or fifteen, whose identity seemed extraordinary..."

Necker's pupils contracted to pinpoints. There was only one fourteen or fifteen-year-old in France who could command over a hundred royal guards—the Crown Prince.
He began pacing the room anxiously, piecing everything together.

First, the police approached Calonne and mentioned his loan irregularities. Then, Erich killed one officer, and the other was quickly placed under protection. Soon after, the royal family intervened...

Combining these events, it seemed likely the royal family had learned about his dealings with the banks.

The situation was dire.

Necker immediately retrieved a bag of gold coins from his safe and handed it to Erich, ordering sternly,
"Take your men and hide in Toul."

Erich hefted the bag, delighted.
"Understood, Mr. Necker. However, my men all died that day, so I'll just go into hiding myself."

He bowed deeply and left the room in high spirits.

"Only one left?" A glint of malice flashed in Necker's eyes. He rang a bell, summoning his butler, and gestured toward Erich's departing figure with a throat-slitting motion.

The butler nodded and left. A few minutes later, he returned.
"Mr. Necker, it's been handled."

"Excellent." Necker instructed further,
"Have my wife and children prepare. We may face trouble and need to go to the 'countryside estate.'"

"Understood, Mr. Necker."

The butler departed, and Necker called in another trusted aide, whispering instructions.

Before sunset, the aide returned and reported,
"Mr. Necker, as you suspected, several secret police were dispatched to Toul recently. Additionally, I learned from Versailles that the King signed a pardon for Calonne."

Having served as Minister of Finance for years and amassed immense wealth, Necker had an extensive network among French nobility.

"Secret police? A pardon for Calonne?"

Necker now fully understood the royal family's intention to act against him. While Calonne might not cooperate with them, Necker could not take that risk.

His situation was simply too precarious.

He quickly made a decision, retrieved a prepared suitcase, and summoned his butler.
"Leave immediately for the countryside estate."

"Yes, Mr. Necker."

Soon, several inconspicuous carriages departed Necker's home. Spies planted by Fouché immediately followed—Joseph would not leave Necker unwatched.

Meanwhile, a trapdoor beneath a modest house several hundred meters from Necker's mansion opened. Necker, his family, and the butler emerged one by one, climbing into waiting carriages that vanished into the night.

An hour later, nearly a hundred officers, led by Besançon, surrounded Necker's mansion. The perimeter was reinforced by secret police and agents from the investigative bureau.

But after a thorough search, they found only servants. Necker and his family had disappeared. Even undercover agents stationed at the residence realized too late that Necker was gone.

...

At the home of Count Isaac, head of the French Banking Guild, a ball was in full swing.

A sharp-featured middle-aged man entered the hall briskly, approached the Count, and whispered a few words in his ear.

Count Isaac's face darkened instantly. He turned and asked,
"Is the information reliable?"

The man nodded.
"The newspapers are already drafting articles about the police surrounding Necker's home. But from what I learned from the secret police, they didn’t find Necker."

Isaac immediately gathered several individuals and led them upstairs.

"Are you saying Necker might be under investigation by the police?"

Isaac shook his head.
"If it were just the police, Necker wouldn’t have fled. It’s likely the royal family is involved."

A thin, red-faced elderly man frowned.
"Why did the royal family move so quickly this time? There wasn’t even a whisper of this beforehand."

"We don’t know," Isaac said gravely. "But I think we all understand how 'dangerous' Necker is."

He glanced around the room.
"After all, nearly all of us have dealt with him."

A portly man with heavily powdered cheeks and dark-ringed eyes gritted his teeth.
"I’ve been saying all along that we should send that man to England. But you wanted to make him Minister of Finance! Look at the mess now; we’re all implicated!"

"Calm down, Count Kappfeil." The thin elderly man gestured to quiet him.
"What’s done is done. The priority now is ensuring the royal family doesn’t find Necker first."

"Marquis Ludo is right," Isaac agreed. "We know Necker better than the royal family does. We’ll find him first and arrange for him to go to England—or..."

His eyes narrowed as he made a cutting motion across his neck.

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